Basket



(No Model.) 5 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. J. ASH.

BASKET.

No. 559,250. Patented Apr. 28, 1896.

. UNITED STATES I ATqENT OFFICE.

CHRISTIAN J. ASH, OF STILLVVATER, PENNSYLVANIA.

BASKET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 559,250, dated April 28, 1896.

Application filed October 31, 1895- To all whom it may concern: it

Be it known that I, CHRISTIAN J. Asn, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Stillwater, in the county of Columbia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Baskets; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, suclras will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanyin g drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a basket of improved construction having a cover or lid, means for holding the cover or lid upon the body portion of the basket, and handles which are adapted to lie flat upon the cover when they are not in use.

With the above end in view my invention consists in providing the body portion of the basket with wires which extend around the same and are provided at their upper ends with hooks and eyes with which cross-wires attached to the cover or lid engage to hold said cover or lid in engagement with the body portion of the basket, the handles being connected to the cross-wires in such manner that there is a spring tendency which normally holds the handles folded down upon the cover orlid, all as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a basket constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation; Fig. 3, a plan view, and Fig. 4 a transverse sectional view.

A designates the body portion of the basket, which may be of any desired form of con struction, preferably of the style known as grape-baskets. Around the bottom and sides of the body portion A extend wires B B, which are secured to the bottom a by screws Z) and to the upper encircling band a. by solder or other equivalent means. The upper ends of the wires B on one side otthe body portion A are formed into eyes or loops I), while the upper ends on the other side are formed into hooks 19 The wires B B are preferably secured to the body portion A so Serial No. 567,465. (No model.)

as to diverge from their upper ends, as shown in the drawings.

0 designates the top of the basket, which is constructed to lie over the upper edges of the body portion A, and across the upper side of the top or lid extend wires D D, which are attached to the central portion of the top or lid by staples 0. formed into an eye d, from which the wire extends across the top or lid and is bent into an eye cl, which engages one of the loops 1) of the wires B, the wire D being then formed into ahandle D and the end bent into an eye which embraces the part of the wire adjacent to the eye cl. By this arrangement the top or lid 0 can be swung upon the hinges formed by the eyes or loops d and b, and when it is lowered upon the body portion A the eyes d can be caused to engage the hooks b and hold the lid closed, the engagement of the eyes cl with the hooks 6 being accomplished by slightly pressing the upper part of the sides of the body portion A toward each other.

It will be noted that by forming the eyes d and d on the wire D as shown and connecting the wire to the central portion of the lid when the handle portions are raised it will throw the parts of the wires which extend across the lid out of a straight line, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 3, and thereby cause a spring tension which will act to return the handles to their normal position. It will also be noted that by providing the wires which extend around the bottom and sides of the body portion of the basket and are secured thereto as described said wires not only provide a part of the fastening devices, but reinforce this part of the basket and serve as an additional connection between said bottom and sides.

The device hereinbefore described provides a very convenient shipping-basket, in which the handles are normally held down upon the lid, and when it'is desired to display the articles contained in the basket the lid can be readily disengaged and swung back, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 4.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In combination with a basket having a body portion and lid, of wires B B which ex- One end of each wire D is tend around the bottom and sides of the body portion of the basket and are rigidly secured thereto, one end of each wire being formed into a hook, as W, and the other end bent to form an eye or loop; together with wires attached centrally to the lid and formed at their ends into eyes which engage the hooks and eyes of the wires B, substantially as shown and for the purpose set forth.

2. In combination with a basket having a body portion and lid, of hooks and eyes attached to opposite sides of the body portion, wires attached to the central part of the lid and formed into eyes at opposite edges thereof, and handles attached to or formed integral with said wires, substantially as shown and for the purpose set forth.

In combination with a basket having a body portion and lid, of hooks and eyes attached to opposite sides of the body portion,

and wires D attached to the central part of the lid and formed into eyes d and d and into handles, substantially as shown and for the purpose set forth.

4. In combination with a basket having a a body portion and lid, of hooks and eyes formed at opposite ends of wires B B which extend around the body portion, and wires D 0011- nected to the central portion of the lid and formed into eyes 02 and cl and into handles CHRISTIAN J. ASH. Witnesses II, P. J ONES, D. MCCARTHY. 

